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SECRET.

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Report.

1. THE Sub-Committee was appointed in March 1910 to consider

(a.) The nature and degree of postal censorship to be imposed in war; (b.) The nature and degree of press censorship to be imposed in war.

The Sub-Committee recorded its recommendations in regard to item (a) of their terms of reference at the conclusion of their first meeting, held on the 10th July, 1910, but postponed the issue of a report pending the consideration of item (b). The question of press censorship, however, proved to be so complex that no definite conclusion could be formulated until after November 1912, when the Sub-Committee was virtually reconstituted.

The present report on the degree of postal censorship to be imposed in time of war is based upon the recommendations made by the Sub-Committee in 1910.

The present Position as regards the Censorship of Communications.

2. A complete system of censorship for cable and wireless messages has been organized.

This precaution might, however, be of small avail if intelligence could be despatched by post from agents of the enemy in the United Kingdom so as to reach other agents in oversea ports in free telegraphic communication with the enemy within a few hours.

Views of the General Staff.

3. The General Staff, while appreciating the difficulties in the way of a solution of the problem, urge the necessity for the adoption of stringent measures if useful results are to be attained, and consider that the additional inconvenience caused would, in a life and death struggle with a great maritime Power, be negligible.

4. The objects to be gained by the establishment of a Postal Censorship would be :-

(a.) To hinder the transmission by post of naval or military intelligence from this

country to an actual or prospective enemy;

(b.) To hinder the transmission by post of instructions from an actual or pro-

spective enemy to his agents in this country.

5. To achieve these ends completely it would be necessary to censor both outward and inward correspondence, both during the precautionary period and in time of war. In view of the great quantity of postal matter, and of the delay which would be caused, it is admitted that the censorship of all correspondence is practically impossible during the precautionary period. The consequent modifications of a complete censor- ship which have been suggested are:—

(i.) To censor a proportion only of all letters.

(i.) To censor those addressed to, or in the handwriting of, suspected persons

only.

(iii.) To limit censorship to London, naval and military centres, and to those

offices where mails are made up for the continent.

(iv.) To require packets for the continent to be handed in open by known persons

at particular offices.

(v.) To delay or suspend the despatch of mails.

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